


My dear cousin...

by ladylana



Series: Faraway land tales [2]
Category: GreedFall (Video Game)
Genre: Chapters are written in letter forms, Characters write to each other, De Sardet has to deal with grief, M/M, Other, Short Chapters, Vasco is away, Work In Progress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-15 00:02:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28679352
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladylana/pseuds/ladylana
Summary: De Sardet, after facing Constantin and his madness, and after temporarily taking his throne along with all the responsibilities, finds some solace in the letters he's found - adressed to him, written by his beloved cousin. He's spending his time writing back and forth to his friends and lover, who's apparently sailing to some faraway place.
Relationships: Constantin d'Orsay/De Sardet/Vasco, De Sardet/Vasco (GreedFall)
Series: Faraway land tales [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888282
Kudos: 6





	1. Constantin

Dear cousin,

I hope you’ll never find this letter. I hope you’ll never know.

I hope madness won’t consume me.

Nights had become dark and scary, and I'm all alone in those cursed hours. My mind won't rest. Thoughts in my head are circling endlessly, making me uneasy and wide awake. The pain in still not present, but I expect it to greet me soon. 

You’re the first person who comes to my mind when I think about true friend. You’ve always been someone very dear to me, even more cherished than my own family. Now I’m surrounded by people who wants to get on my good side, but there’s no one who I can trust enough. Advisors, soldiers, guests, doctors… They watch me carefully, waiting for any missteps from my side.

I don’t know how much longer I can keep up with the façade. You know best, dear cousin, what is the cause of my soon demise. You’ve seen it with your own eyes.

My blood turned into poison. It’s slowly eating me from the inside.

It’s always on my mind. As you are, my dear cousin.

Where are you now? Oh, how I wish I could travel with you instead of just sitting at this ridiculous throne! But I don’t want to hand it over to anyone else. I had… have so much fun governing from up there, watching out for any bad schemes and actually making meaningful decisions about things that matter! I felt so useless at my father’s court, always walking in the shadow of my all knowing dad, who despised me so much that he never had any good word for me.

I’m glad that at least you were always by my side.

I hope you will remain there till the very end.

Yours, with love,

Constantin d’Orsay.


	2. Moments of stilness and joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Constantin to De Sardet.

My dear,

You’ve finally returned! I was truly overjoyed to see you, in good health, standing before me. I was worried sick, as your latest trip took you longer than usual, but I understand that maneuvering between three different nations isn’t easy, especially when you have to travel through forests and face the ferocious wildlife. Oh, how exciting it must be! Please tell me everything in details next time we have a chance to sit down and talk!

Also, it was nice to focus my thoughts on something else than my sickness. The pain comes and goes. I can still be the Constantin that you know and love, but my condition worsens. I know that you’ve noticed, but were kind enough not to say anything in the presence of the always spying eyes of my court.

I really wanted to hear everything about your travels, with every little detail. A shame we don’t have that much privacy and time to ourselves. I also wanted to talk more privately, throw some concerns off my shoulders. There’s truly no one else I can trust enough to talk about everything that’s eating me, though more and more people seem to know about my condition.

Well, it shows on my face, I shouldn’t be surprised. At the beginning, I could get away by saying some made up stories about stress, sleepless nights and bad diet.

I pray that you will stay healthy and well.

I can feel the wave of pain coming. Soon, I will confide myself in bed, trying not to think about my future. I wish you were here, dear cousin, and take my mind off things. It’s harder without you by my side. I have to trust those crows with my health and I don’t feel so good about that. They scare me, but I have to maintain an indifferent face around them, as not to give them any satisfaction.

Yours truly,

Constantin d’Orsay


	3. Pain arrival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Constantin to De Sardet.

Dear cousin,

Last days were… very dark. The pain stopped leaving, as an unwanted guest who overstayed his welcome. It enjoys my company, but it’s one-sided. Because of it, I can’t sleep or eat properly. Servants are almost crying when they take mostly untouched food from my room. The main chief started to prepare some easy to digest meals, but they just won’t stay in my stomach.

I take my medicine, prepared by those scary crows, but it just makes me more sick after a while. But maybe I’m just too tired to feel better. Kurt always said that if I don’t drink my milk, I won’t get stronger. Well, I’m getting weaker, so I guess he was right.

By the way, how is our favorite master of arms? Is he still loyal to you? I hope he guards your back, though I believe that you are very skilled yourself! It’s a shame that I can’t accompany you to witness your skills in the field! I certainly hope that we can soon sit down and then you can tell me, dear cousin, everything about your travels! And your companions! I knew that your charm would eventually win over loyalty of other people. I feel safer knowing that you have made such amazing friends, and they help you on your journey.

And how is your relationship with the amazing captain? I’ve noticed that he accompanies you frequently. As I’m well aware of his circumstances and the fact that he was literally handed over to you, did you take your chance to confess? I honestly can’t imagine his reaction, he was such a serious man on board!

I’m just glad that you’ll never read this letter – or that you won’t read it as long as I’m alive. I know very well how you didn’t like me mentioning it. You were always so proper and secretive, and you didn’t like the idea of problems emerging from failed relationship. So, you’ve stopped yourself from acting, but I hope that you’ve found your happiness now. Your captain – if he already belongs to you, and I strongly believe he is – looks reliable, enough for me not to worry.

I would really like to ask about all the details, but you’re already gone, occupied by another mission.

I wish I could keep you longer at my side.

Yours,

Constantin d’Orsay


	4. Revelation and feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Constantin to De Sardet.

My beloved,

So we’re not related by blood, still we’re more of a family than people who I must call my parents, but my mouth feels strange every time I say it. You’re my cousin, my brother, my friend, best friend, my confidant, my partner in childhood crimes and many more. We’ve been through so much together, that it’s no longer important if we truly are related by blood. What does it even mean? We grew up together and treated each other as we were twins.

I’ve seen just how much pain that cognizance had caused you, but trust me – this doesn’t change anything. Not in our relationship, not in our feelings.

Ah, but maybe, just maybe, if we knew this, we could grew even closer? I’ve never felt anything even close to attraction towards men, but maybe, for you… The thought is there. Maybe I would have been happy that way – happier than I was when we came to Teer Fradee, and when I’ve earned my freedom and power.

If you thought even for a moment that I looked at you differently, you’re wrong. You’ll always be my cousin and my beloved, most cherished person. If not for your constant support and good word, I would have been lost, a boy without much care for anyone and anything. You know my parents well, but while you try to be neutral in your opinions, I can call them whatever as their son – they’re not good people. They almost destroyed me. But you were there and I survived only because of you. You can take all the credit for my sanity.

You’re all that matters in my life. I can’t hide my happiness every time you show up. You’re my light and my hope.

I would have been lost without you, dear cousin. No matter who your parents are, you are still you, and our relationship can’t be changed because my father hid the truth from us.

You see, I thought about it seriously.

I love you now and forever, my dear Dast.

Yours,

Constantin d’Orsay


	5. Absence and wistfulness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Constantin to De Sardet

My heart,

Catasach is taking good care of me and my pain. I know the doctors aren’t happy that you brought a local inhabitant and took me from their cold hands, but they couldn’t do what your friend can – ease the pain. It was getting… hard to bear. Don’t judge me, cousin, but there were nights when I wished I was already dead, so I could no longer feel it. It attacked me fiercely, not allowing to rest and have some peace.

I longed for your presence in those times too. But the thought of you, looking frantically for a healer, gave me a little piece of mind. I believed that you will succeed and you did! You never fail my expectations for you. Without you, I would have been a dead man already. Take peace in those words, if you ever doubt yourself and your abilities. You’ve already done more than anyone.

To tell you the truth, I’m still scared, and I really want to scream, but at least I can suffer more peacefully now.

I’m still performing my duties, so it’s all right for now. My advisors are all over me with worry, but their concern only adds to my anxiety. I don’t want to feel sick in every second of my existence. I don’t want people to remind me that I’m not well.

It’s tiring most of the times.

I’m still aware that you will probably read this while I’m no longer here… or maybe you won’t read those words ever. But it’s freeing, writing to the absent you. You were always such a good listener, and I’ve never kept a secret from you. Now, we’re both busy with our work, and we can’t meet like we used to, but when I write to you, it’s easy to say things, even hard ones. I know that you would understand.

Forgive me, Leo, if you ever read those letters. Forgive your spoiled cousin, that once he had those dark, unhappy thoughts, even though you were out there, fighting for my future.

Sometimes it’s just hard to keep living.

I miss you greatly.

Yours truly,

Constantin d’Orsay


	6. Still yours

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Constantin to De Sardet.

My dear,

I can’t express in words just how happy I was when you found me. I guess I was kidding myself, thinking about your travels in terms of a simple adventure, with a pinch of thrilling battles with local wildlife and crime fighting. But my eyes were finally opened, as I was taken hostage and kept prisoner, and after I’ve experienced so much unnecessary death and suffering.

I know that it ended badly, but my health is improving. I don’t need doctors attending to me anymore. It truly feels like coming back to life from death. It’s truly a miracle.

I can’t stop thinking about the ritual. What Catasach made me do and why… The madman who came later and kidnapped me spouted some nonsense and I could only get that he was upset. He killed everyone without mercy, with anger and arrogance, like he had the right to decide about life and death.

I’m not sad that you killed him, and I can’t bring myself to mourn Catasach either, as I feel like it was his destiny to show me what to do. To understand the ritual. The bonding. The power that came with it.

Will you understand, cousin? You’re already connected to this island, but still, that’s an old power that you shouldn’t concern yourself with. Oh, how I want to share all those thoughts with you, dear cousin! Just like old times, when we discussed everything, had all those wonderful, if not a little crazy ideas, and when we acted without a care…

I already have a plan for this power. It’s here, ready to take. Some old god won’t stop me. I know how those old geezers think – all egoistical, trying to play the omnipotent card. But when you are in power, you can do whatever you want.

And I know exactly what I want to do. What I need to do.

I hope you can join me, my dear cousin. I wonder where you are now? Soundly asleep in your mansion? With your beloved captain? See, I still remember where your passion lays. You still didn’t tell me if you won his heart.

I have to make some preparations, so I’ll make this letter short. Well, you probably won’t read it anyways, so it doesn’t matter. I wonder if I should burn them? They became irrelevant, exposing my weak self, that’s no longer there. I’m stronger now. I have a new purpose.

I can’t wait to share it with you!

Still yours,

Constantin d’Orsay


	7. Approaching madness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From Constantin to De Sardet

Cousin,

Who cares about this old, dying world? Why not, giving the chance, remake it? Why not bend it to our rules?

My heart, my beloved, I truly think that we can become the new gods of this island and then expand our power further, destroying the old, fossilized world, with human arrogance, indifference, violence and sickness. You already know that our people attacked this land and took your mother, forcing her to give birth to you in a foreign land, just to satisfy some sick noble's ambitions.

Why, just why should we seek redemption for them? Why beg for something we don’t even need?

Why beg, when we can take?

You and me, we can rule this land. We can take this power for ourselves.

We can be gods and dictate the rules.

Let the old world burn. They never gave us anything of importance. It robbed you from your parents and made you live a life that wasn’t meant for you. You should have been happy here, free and loved by your parents and people. But they took it from you.

It’s only right that they die. We’re both strong. We can make life and death decisions. The future belongs to us. I don’t want to do this without you, my dear. You were always there for me and I need your support. I will stop you if I must, but I hope that we will come to mutual understanding when the time comes.

I hope that you will join me. No, I know that you will. For the longest time, you understood my heart and soul, that you became my heart and soul. I trust you, cousin.

I’m sorry, it will probably be hard for you. Everyone trusts you. And you will have to betray them.

But I know that you will understand.

See you soon!

Waiting impatiently,

Constantin d’Orsay


End file.
